It’s often said people we learn from experience. But the sad reality is that many do not learn from experience. I bet you can think of many people who have been doing something for a long time, but aren’t very good. I know I can. In some areas of my life, that’s true of me. 🙂

In fact, social scientists have found in study after study that the majority of people, from doctors to drivers, actually get worse the longer they do a job.

Life experiences provide the potential to learn, but not a guarantee. Growth happens through evaluated experience. The key is how you reflect and evaluate your experiences. What stories do you tell yourself about what has happened to you? What will you do differently next time? What patterns are you seeing?

This is why things like journaling, having a coach and/or counselor, and going on personal retreats are so powerful. Because until you examine your experiences, you haven’t learned from them.

You’re having experiences every day. What’s your method of reflecting so you can learn from them? How often are you taking the time to convert those experiences into learning?